Display card



Jame 3M6 E. c. CHETTUM DISPLAY CARD Filed Nov 12, 1945 Patented June 4, 1 946 2,401,615 DISPLAY cARn Elbert Carroll Chittum,

Md., a corporation of This invention relates to display cards,-and particularly to a combined display card and m'erchandise carrier, suitable for the display and effective merchandising of relatively small articles, such as lipsticks and other cosmetics packaged in small containers, although it will be understood that its adaptability is not thus limited.

- As is well known, small articles of merchandise which are ordinarily displayed in quantity in counter trays, do not thus present an attractive, sales-appeal appearance and, moreoven they are not easily picked out for individual inspection. Recognizing these and other faults attributable to bulk display, manufacturers and distributors of such small articles have adopted the practice of mounting the articles upon cards, either individually or in groups or sets, so that prospective purchasers may more readily handle and select the articles desired. 7

One object of the present invention is to provide a combined display card and merchandise carrier which is of simple and cheap construction and capable of being made of relatively light, thin sheet material, such as cardboard, the card preferably including an integral portion by which an article of merchandise may readily be attached to' it without the employment of staples or other added fastening means. In a preferred form, the display card is a unitary, single-blank structure having adequate surface area for advertising or other printed matter upon the face or back, or both, and having a portion that is bent or folded to form a sleeve at the bottom of the card for the relatively rigid but, if desired, the removable and replaceable, attachment to it of an article of merchandise.

Another object is to provide a display card and merchandise carrier of such form, and having an article of merchandise so located upon and attached to it, that it may be made to stand relatively erect upon a counter or the like, without the addition to the card of any support, easel structure or the like.

A further object is to provide a display card with an integral portion for attaching the article of merchandise to the card, the attaching portion being of such form that, although the article is relatively rigidly attached thereto, it is not concealed but presents identifiable portions to the view of prospective purchasers.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which the parts are similarly designated:

Fig. 1 is a face view of the card of the invention, showing the same in perspective;

Catonsville, Md., assignor to Chittum' Kidd Com pany, Inc., Baltimore,

Maryland AppIication NoVember 12, 1943, Serial No. 510,038

- 2 Claims. (01. 206-79) 2 Fig. 2 is a similar back view thereof; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but with the article-attachin tab arranged in condition to receive an article;

Fig. 4 is a back View of the Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing an article in position attached by the tab, and with the corners of the card bent back to provide a means for supporting the card in substantially erect position; and

Fig. 6 is an edge view of the parts as shown in Fig. 5.

It will be seen that in the form of the device shown, the cardl is of rectangular form, al-

though it maybe of other conventional or orna mental configuration, and preferably has at least one straight edge 2 which may be considered as its bottom edge. The integral tab 3 which is to form a sleeve for attaching an article 4 to the card, and with the bottom portion of the article at least approximately in line with the bottom edge or edges 2, extends below the main portion l of the card and is of a length sufficient to embrace the article 4 when bent or folded forwardly and upwardly to return its free end 5 to the card for connectionrthereto by ears 6, 6. As illustrated, the ears 6, 6' project laterally from the tab 3, and a notch 1 is cut back at the inner edge of the ear 6 to facilitate the insertion of the free end 5 in an aperture or slit 8 that is formed in the card body I above the bottom edge 2. The slit 8 has a length greater than the width of the tab 3 but less than the overall width of the tab and the ears 6, 6', so that when the tab 3 is curled upwardly to sleeve form, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, its free end 5 may be inserted through the slit 8 from face to back of the card and its ears will bear against the back of the card (Fig. 4).

The illustrated article 4 is a cylinder of circular cross-section but the particular shape of the article that is attached to the display card is not an essential feature of the invention. The tab 3 or a plurality of tabs may be bent or folded to form a sleeve or pocket for receiving articles of other than circular cross-section, for example a package of razor blades of rectangular cross-section. Perforations may be provided in a single tab 3, Or a pair of spaced tabs 3 may be employed, when the article is of generally cylindrical form but has projecting parts that would result in an unstable assembly within a cylindrical article-receiving sleeve. An essential requirement i that the article 4 be located at parts as shown mj 3 the bottom of the card whether or not the attaching means takes the form of one or more tabs extending below the bottom edge 2 of the card.

It is obvious that the tab 3 may be bent around to form the article-receiving sleeve, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, prior to insertion'of the article 4, but, if desired, the tab maybe passed, around the article while the latter is held properly located adjacent to the edge 2 of the card, and the end 5 of the tab passed through the slit 8 of the card to complete the assembly. Either mode of assembling the card and article may be employed as may be desired or found more expedient by the operator.

Having reference to Fig. 6, it will be noted that the length of the tab 3 is so proportioned tojacent at least one of said ears, a slit in the display card portion parallel to but spaced from said boundary, said slit being of greater length thanithe width of the tab between said notch the girth of the displayed article 4 that when I assembled, as shown, the tab will frictionally engage the surface of the article throughout a major portion of its girth, thus eliminating the likelihood of accidental or inadvertent escape or displacement of the article. In fact, it is preferable that this fit be so tight as partially to deform that portion of the card which is in direct contact with the surface of the article, as shown at 9.

When thus assembled, the article and its display card andcarrier provide an attractive and easily handled package, and theface an back of the card furnish areas appropriate to receive advertising and display matter and instructions or the like in printed form. Moreover, the tab may bear the trade-mark, or trade name, of the goods, and it may, furthermore, be ornamented in a manner similar-to that used upon the por- I tion of the article concealed by it.

The tab 3 is preferably of less" width than the length of the article displayed, thus presenting toview portions of the article itself.

If it is desired to use the device for purposes of'counter or shelf display, the corners of the cardadjacent to the edge 2 may be bent rear- W'ardly, Substantially at right anglesto" the card, as 'shown'in Figs. 5 and 6', thus providing feet lfito' support the card in a substantially vertical position (Fig. 6); It 'will be noted that in this use of' the card the Weight of the article 4 at the bottom, or supporting", edge of the card Will supplement the feet I'll in holding the card erect.

Various changes and modifications are c0nsid-- cred-to be within the principle of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

and the end, of the opposite ear but of less length than the width of the tab at said ears whereby said tab may be bent to form, together with that part of the display card portion between said boundary and said slit fa merchandise holding sleeve positioned in front of the plane of said display card portion and said free end ofthe'tab including said ears inserted through saidslit andsecurely fastened to said display card portion.

2. In a combined display card and mechan dise carrier, a card having at least one substantially rectangular end portion definedby three adjoining substantially straight edges at substantially right angles to each other, an integral tab projecting from the intermediate or said three straight edges,- said tab being of less width than: thelength of aid intermediate edge and being positioned at a substantial distance from each of said other two of said three straight edges, ears adjacent the free end of said tab and a slit in said card adjacent to but spaced from said intermediate edge whereby said tab may be bent continuously from said intermediate edge into the form of a sleeve positioned in front of the card and above said intermediate edge with the free end of said tab secured to the card by co operation of said ears and said slit, and feetformed by bending backwardly the corners of the card defined by the intersection of said in--- termediate edge with theother two of said three supporting surface in an inclined position.

ELBERT CARROLL CHITI UMv 

